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So far, despite all the hurried negotiations over the details of border-security funding, Congress seems to be in agreement that the government will not shut down again on Friday, and has agreed to backpay some 800,000 federal workers the salaries they missed during the previous 35-day shutdown. But when it comes to the federal contractors who also went unpaid during that period—up to 580,000 people, according to one estimate—it gets trickier. “I’ve been told the president won’t sign” anything that guarantees them backpay, Senator Roy Blunt told reporters on Wednesday. “I guess federal contractors are different in his view than federal employees.”
Generally speaking, Federal contractors don’t get paid during shut downs.
The largest contractors are defence. For example, Boeing has many contracts to produce planes for the Federal Government. The production line is not closed during a shutdown. Upon completing terms of the contract, they get paid.
Where large contractors might be impacted are potential delays in approving new contracts. It’s an opportunity cost absorbed by contractors.
In contrast, a business that provides say janitorial or security or garbage collection or food services typically lays off their employees because work is suspended for the duration of the shutdown. The level of distress must be intense.
There is nothing factual to support these contractors have ever been retroactively paid for shutdown time and nothing to ensure furloughed workers would receive retro pay, if they were.
Since the Trump shut down lasted 35 days (a new record for the liar in chief) those contractors lost a whole month of earnings. Trump should be ashamed of himself.
His next act will be to lead the country to default on debt. The king of deficits is proving it every day.
So far, despite all the hurried negotiations over the details of border-security funding, Congress seems to be in agreement that the government will not shut down again on Friday, and has agreed to backpay some 800,000 federal workers the salaries they missed during the previous 35-day shutdown. But when it comes to the federal contractors who also went unpaid during that period—up to 580,000 people, according to one estimate—it gets trickier. “I’ve been told the president won’t sign” anything that guarantees them backpay, Senator Roy Blunt told reporters on Wednesday. “I guess federal contractors are different in his view than federal employees.”
all depends on how their contract is worded. no one forced them to sign it.
government contractors.....pay for a 10 thousand tax dollars for a hammer that can be purchased in Ace hardware for 5 bucks?
Since the Trump shut down lasted 35 days (a new record for the liar in chief) those contractors lost a whole month of earnings. Trump should be ashamed of himself.
His next act will be to lead the country to default on debt. The king of deficits is proving it every day.
Personally, I think that the contractors should be paid for their missed work, same as the federal employees were. But the fact remains that the contractors never get back pay when the government goes on furlough. This is a bi-partisan problem, and laying it at the feet of Trump exclusively is disingenuous.
The 2013 shutdown was a little over 2 weeks in October, I don't know if their back pay was restored but yes that was also an issue. There are actually more contractors than federal employees in the DOD so that is a rather big problem.
Federal contractors who provide Pay for Use services to the Federal Government lay off their employees during shutdowns. There is no provision for retroactive pay to the contractor or the contractor to employees.
Federal contractors who work on a project contract basis, don’t stop production or lay off employees.
Personally, I think that the contractors should be paid for their missed work, same as the federal employees were. But the fact remains that the contractors never get back pay when the government goes on furlough. This is a bi-partisan problem, and laying it at the feet of Trump exclusively is disingenuous.
Well stated.
I can appreciate the intense distress that was felt by employees of contractors who were laid off and have never been eligible for retro pay.
Generally speaking, Federal contractors don’t get paid during shut downs.
The largest contractors are defence. For example, Boeing has many contracts to produce planes for the Federal Government. The production line is not closed during a shutdown. Upon completing terms of the contract, they get paid.
Where large contractors might be impacted are potential delays in approving new contracts. It’s an opportunity cost absorbed by contractors.
In contrast, a business that provides say janitorial or security or garbage collection or food services typically lays off their employees because work is suspended for the duration of the shutdown. The level of distress must be intense.
There is nothing factual to support these contractors have ever been retroactively paid for shutdown time and nothing to ensure furloughed workers would receive retro pay, if they were.
Yes and no. Many of the defense contracts were not stopped, so they could keep working. Although there is no one there to pay the bill for the expenses incurred, some companies can float it while others cannot.
Most contracts that were held with departments that were furloughed got the stop-work order, which means legally we could not work on them. Of course, we've lost a month of work but our deadlines haven't changed at all, including some deadlines that are legally binding. Some contracts already expired, or extensions weren't approved, so there is additional lost time now getting those back up and running.
So, yup, just docked my annual salary by 1/12 (edit: 9.6%) even with fully-funded contracts we could work on and through no fault of our own.
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